Giant, floating pumpkin race attracts huge crowds at annual event in Oregon

Waving his kayak paddle triumphantly in the air, Gary Christensen triumphantly celebrates crossing the finish line in his giant, floating pumpkin.

Dressed up as Buddy, the character from Will Ferrell’s holiday movieelf,” Christensen won the first race at the annual event over the weekend in Tualatin, Oregon portland The suburb has hosted the West Coast Giant Pumpkin Regatta since 2004, which draws large crowds who cheer on costumed participants as they race carved giant pumpkins around a small man-made lake, allowing them to float.

“You have an exciting activity that the crowd loves, you have the costumes, the cheering people, the pageantry, the sinking pumpkins, it has everything,” Christensen said after emerging victorious in the first race of Sunday’s competition in a 936-pound (425 kg) pumpkin.

For Christensen, who has competed in the regatta since 2013, the activity has become much more than a once-yearly affair. Earlier this year, he claimed the Guinness World Record for the longest trip by pumpkin boat after covering nearly 58 miles (94 kilometers) on the Columbia River – breaking the record set last year.

This specific endeavor has also become a passion for Brad Baynes, who competed in his fourth regatta dressed as a character from the TV series “Squid Game.” He described the fun in growing his own pumpkin – which took six months – and “concluding the season by putting it in the lake and going sailing with my friends.”

At 1,376 pounds (624 kg), the weight of his pumpkin this year became a personal record for him.

“It’s kind of an addiction at this point,” he said.

In the morning rain, before the race started, workers operated fork lifts and heavy machinery to lift the giant pumpkins and transfer them to the water. Growers and competitors used saws and knives to cut holes in the tops of their pumpkins, and used spoons, scrapers and their bare hands to scoop out the pulp inside so they could sit.

The more of the interior is removed, the lighter the pumpkin becomes, giving its captain a competitive edge by allowing faster travel. By the time the carving was complete, there was enough seed and pulp to fill the dustbin.

Members of the Pacific Giant Vegetable Growers, who grow pumpkins for the regatta, were competitors in the first race. On its website, the Gardening Association describes itself as “focused on the fun, competitive hobby of growing obscenely large vegetables.”

Riding on different orange and yellow pumpkins, their costumes differed from those of celebrity chefs. guy fieri And a UPS delivery man with cardboard boxes placed behind his pumpkins, an Elvis and a man in a hot dog suit. someone dressed like that luigiThere was also a green pumpkin to match the character from Nintendo’s Mario games, along with the trademark green hat and shirt.

In another race, a participant wore a Shrek costume and green face paint, mirroring some fans in the crowd who also dressed as the beloved monster from popular movies.

When asked what it takes to grow a giant pumpkin, Christensen shared his simple recipe for success: “Good seeds, good soil, good luck, hard work.”